Photos of Irish Snowdrops needed

[ranunculus]

Snowdrop lunches? How do you cook them?

In a shallow pan with just a little spring water ...

[Martin Baxendale]

Snowdrop lunches? How do you cook them?

In a shallow pan with just a little spring water ...

I prefer mine chipped.

[KentGardener]

Snowdrop lunches? How do you cook them?

In a shallow pan with just a little spring water ...

I prefer mine chipped.

   Very good.

[Martin Baxendale]

Snowdrop lunches? How do you cook them?

To conform with current health and safety directives, we should probably state here that snowdrop bulbs are poisonous and should under no circumstances be eaten (or stuffed up your nose, used as replacements for light bulbs or be offered as a more valuable currency to replace the British pound - current value half a groat).

[Anthony Darby]

Weren't narcotics named because they are found in narcissi?

[Martin Baxendale]

Weren't narcotics named because they are found in narcissi?

Dunno, but there's no way I'm going to try smoking the things.

[Martin Baxendale]

Hell's bells, Anthony, I should be working and here I am looking up narcotic in the dictionary instead. Says it's from the Greek (via medieval Latin) for "to render numb". No mention of narcissi, so I'm spared any temptation to experiment with rolling up daffodil leaves.

[Anthony Darby]

Well, at least you are not suffering from "idiopathic narcolepsy", which was written on a pupil's note once.

[Anthony Darby]

Weren't narcotics named because they are found in narcissi?

Actually, I think they were named after thon bloke who fancied himself.

[Martin Baxendale]

Well, at least you are not suffering from "idiopathic narcolepsy", which was written on a pupil's note once.

Is that when you keep falling asleep if you have to listen to someone talking b****cks, in which case I think I suffer from it.

[Paddy Tobin]

Martin et alia,

Your comments on G. 'Lady Moore'?

It hasn't flowered in my garden yet and I am looking forward to seeing how it will perform in this coming season. Apologies for the poor specimen I have in the photograph. Unfortunately, it was the only remaining flower on a clump I received earlier in the year and the petals, particularly the one on the right, are in poor condition but I hope it will give you some idea of what it looks like.


Oh, I should point out that this is not one of the culinary varieties of snowdrop, simply ornamental.

Paddy

[Hagen Engelmann]

Nice is the Lady. It`s a kind of the ROBIN HOOD group!

[steve owen]

With the newer and rarer snowdrops there is bound to be a period where people know of them and wish to have them. Commercial considerations may govern the release of some snowdrops - better prices will be obtained if the supply is curtailed and controlled. Other times snowdrops might not have entered into the commercial arena at all and remain in private hands and I think it is this situation which is under discussion above.
Paddy

Paddy
No quarrel with your point about newer and rarer. I was drawing attention to the fact that quite a number of varieties that are supposed to have been around quite a long time, supposedly not rare, are yet very difficult indeed to get hold of. I'll give another example - Bitton. But I bet many people are growing a decent clump of Bitton. Another, Ruby Baker, has been mentioned in this thread.

It's a pity there isn't a "Snowdrops Available for swap" register that everybody could log onto. I bet that would have an effect on Ebay prices! I've been growing snowdrops for only four years, so my sizeable list of varieties aren't clumps yet - but they will be, and then I see no point in keeping them to myself if others want to grow them.

[Martin Baxendale]

As you say, Paddy, not easy to assess 'Lady Moore' from a single flower not in good condition, but it looks very promising. Is it a plicate? I assume you'll keep it away from your other snowdrops until you're sure it's healthy; the one thing that does worry me a little is the apparent yellow breaking in the green of the ovary and what looks like a slightly broken and smudged mark, both of which can be symptoms of virus. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that it's okay next year, but an old cultivar like this that's been around for a long time, and especially a plicate one, might have some virus. As I say, hope not, but better to be safe than sorry. I've been looking at it and trying to decide if it is yellow streaking or just the light and if the mark is something to worry about or not. On balance, I thought I'd better say something, even though it may turn out to be fine.

[Paddy Tobin]

Martin,

Many thanks for your comments. In its original garden it was grown well away from any other snowdrops. This was the owner's way of keeping it from interbreeding with any other snowdrops in her garden. It fact, she grew very few other snowdrops. To be safe I planted it well away from anything else. The yellowing on the ovary may be just the fact that the flower was caught in a shaft of sunlight. I looked at the original photograph as the one posted was cropped from it and there is a clear shaft of sunlight shining across the plant.

We'll see how it goes this season - and if it is riddled rotten with virus I will send it immediately to all the important people!

Steve, I'm reading between the lines. You say you took an interest in snowdrops about four years ago and already have a sizeable list of varieties - well, this is clear evidence that you are really and truly smitten by the snowdrop collecting bug. You could seek professional help or you could drop me an e-mail later in the season when foliage is drying down and I could help you expand the list a bit. I wouldn't wish you to think that all snowdrop enthusiasts are mean hoarders. However, I cannot help you with G. 'Bitton' or G. 'Ruby Baker' as I don't have them. This latter is, I'm afraid, a very rare one indeed.

Paddy